{why i REALLY want to be a professional photographer + why i REALLY REALLY need a new computer!}
so... this is a long-overdue installment {no. 10 } of my florida vacation series. remember i said yesterday that i have been working on processing a photo shoot? well technically, it was not a photo shoot... at least not the kind that professional photographers do. you see, i was not hired to take these pictures. i was not even asked to. i just had my camera with me {like i always do } while at the beach on our trip to florida last year {april of 2009 }.
b's aunt, who lives there, was with us at the beach, along with her husband, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. so darling is this little one, i just could not help but take a bunch of pictures of her. and the best part was that she was not aware i was taking them so it was a very natural setting.
she is a very sweet, docile child, so she was often still and curious of her surroundings... full of wonder at the beach, sand, water, sky... and so loved by her mom, grandmother and grandfather. her stillness and the lighting were perfect for getting nice clear shots. i've photographed a little girl about this age before, but had a hard time getting anything clear, because she was a very curiously active girl.
but this little one was curious in a different way... less hands-on, and more take it all in with her eyes. it made for some really tender moments to photograph. and i couldn't have been more thrilled than i was to capture them with my camera.
can you believe it took me over a year to work on these? i feel so bad about that. i kept putting it off, because i knew with the slowness of my computer, it would take me at least four or five hours to work on them... including download, photoshop and upload time. but i finally had a large chunk of free time these past several days, and so i was determined to devote a few hours each of a couple days. i'm curious what kind of time it takes those of you who have done a similar kind of shoot.
i e-mailed the slide show of photos off to b's aunt last night, and she wrote back expressing pure delight and satisfaction with what i sent. that was the best reward of all... knowing a grandma is glowing and smiling and able to cherish the face of her granddaughter in pictures, and that she can hold on to those memories even long after her granddaughter has grown.
THIS is why i love to take pictures... one of the many reasons. THIS is why i want to do this professionally! there was not one aspect of this that i did not enjoy. i'm certain i could do this all day, every day. pure joy for me, through and through.
it has only affirmed my desire to take pictures, and only confirmed my reasoning for why it is imperative that i get a newer, faster computer. if i were to do this for a living, i would definitely need to speed up the process. and a camera upgrade would be swell, too!
so... this is a long-overdue installment {no. 10 } of my florida vacation series. remember i said yesterday that i have been working on processing a photo shoot? well technically, it was not a photo shoot... at least not the kind that professional photographers do. you see, i was not hired to take these pictures. i was not even asked to. i just had my camera with me {like i always do } while at the beach on our trip to florida last year {april of 2009 }.
b's aunt, who lives there, was with us at the beach, along with her husband, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. so darling is this little one, i just could not help but take a bunch of pictures of her. and the best part was that she was not aware i was taking them so it was a very natural setting.
she is a very sweet, docile child, so she was often still and curious of her surroundings... full of wonder at the beach, sand, water, sky... and so loved by her mom, grandmother and grandfather. her stillness and the lighting were perfect for getting nice clear shots. i've photographed a little girl about this age before, but had a hard time getting anything clear, because she was a very curiously active girl.
but this little one was curious in a different way... less hands-on, and more take it all in with her eyes. it made for some really tender moments to photograph. and i couldn't have been more thrilled than i was to capture them with my camera.
can you believe it took me over a year to work on these? i feel so bad about that. i kept putting it off, because i knew with the slowness of my computer, it would take me at least four or five hours to work on them... including download, photoshop and upload time. but i finally had a large chunk of free time these past several days, and so i was determined to devote a few hours each of a couple days. i'm curious what kind of time it takes those of you who have done a similar kind of shoot.
i e-mailed the slide show of photos off to b's aunt last night, and she wrote back expressing pure delight and satisfaction with what i sent. that was the best reward of all... knowing a grandma is glowing and smiling and able to cherish the face of her granddaughter in pictures, and that she can hold on to those memories even long after her granddaughter has grown.
THIS is why i love to take pictures... one of the many reasons. THIS is why i want to do this professionally! there was not one aspect of this that i did not enjoy. i'm certain i could do this all day, every day. pure joy for me, through and through.
it has only affirmed my desire to take pictures, and only confirmed my reasoning for why it is imperative that i get a newer, faster computer. if i were to do this for a living, i would definitely need to speed up the process. and a camera upgrade would be swell, too!
i just picked my top favorites for this post. but if you are at all interested and would like to see the rest of the pictures in a slide show, click here. there are a few more fun shots to see.
23 comments:
georgia....these are fabulous !
you don't have to want to be a photographer...you already are !
: )
thanks, beth!
b. keeps trying to tell me the same thing.
{hey, guess where i almost was sunday... elkhorn flea market. but a depleted bank account and the cold weather kept me from actually going. but it was in the works. next month FOR SURE. i'm going with my friend dierdre, if you want to join us!}
what a treasure these are ...
I agree with beth and b. You ARE a photographer and you're doing it! (Okay, maybe not for money yet, but that's to come.) Beautiful photos - you captured such a sweet spirit and breezy day.
These pictures are amazing. What an adorable little girl. And I agree with Beth...you are a photographer. No need to wish for it. You are IT!!
Enjoy
Hugs
SueAnn
What a doll, and yes, you are there...these are wonderful!
thanks, all! you give me great courage!
These are all wonderful. very nice job!! what a sweet little girl. you captured her beautifully.
The silhouette one is amazing. I'd like to book an appointment.
you got it, jen. just let me know when and where!
Having just entered the world of "professional" photography, I can now say that the only difference between what I was doing before and what I'm doing now is the word "professional." And just because you are not charging or calling it a "photo shoot" doesn't mean it's not professional. Most of the work I've done so far has been for free. The year-long family project I'm doing - FREE! {http://www.darrahparker.com/blog/category/one-year-one-family} But it's been a great exercise and great exposure. I've learned a lot. And I'm viewing it as if I'm getting paid for it. Even though I'm not bringing in a lot of money right now, it's still my job. And just being able to say that is a huge mental adjustment from where I was several months ago.
I'm learning that it's all in the attitude. It's easy to get overwhelmed by how much there is to learn and what I DON'T know and my inadequate equipment, but that just paralyzes me. The thing is - people don't see what I don't know. They see what I do know. That's a lesson I'm still learning.
What you said about why you love photography - pay attention to that! People search and search for something that gives them that feeling. And you've GOT it! Not only do you GOT it (I know, bad grammar), but you are freaking FANTASTIC at it! And you'll only keep getting better the more you do it. I sincerely believe that if there is something that we could see ourselves doing "all day, every day" that with perseverence, it's only a matter of time until things fall into place. You are already a success - because you have found something that you love to do.
Okay, on to technical stuff. For a 1-2 hour shoot (like the family shoots I've done), it takes me about 2-4 hours to edit the photos, although I rarely do it in one sitting. My eyes get tired. I like doing an initial edit in Lightroom, weeding out the bad photos, doing minor adjustments, and then I come back to it later and widdle it down more, do more edits, etc. After the edits are done, it takes me even longer to format the photos for blog posts. So total, I work on them over a few days, an hour or two each day.
Btw, I LOVE the last two photos in particular. You really caught her sweet personality. Well done!
{Sorry for the long comment, but I really relate to this post!}
georgia you could easily be a professional!! these portraits are beautiful, natural and all wonderful captures of a sweet girl.
thanks, you guys!
darrah, wow! your comment was awesome. you gave me so much to think about, and it was nice to read someone who was recently in the same place and is now doing IT! thank you for you tips and encouragement! i really do appreciate that!
i'm looking into a new computer as well~ it takes forever now that i'm doing stuff with photoshop...
it just shuts down on me at times.
ugh.
need. more. memory.
The very last shot is fantastic. The stark contrast of the face and hair against the muted wall/jacket. Absolutely brilliant.
Good luck in getting a new computer. I understand the frustration of having a slow machine for these kinds of things.
well, thank you, dave! it is probably my favorite of the bunch, too... that's why i saved it for last!
: )
i'm praying for a computer for you. i'm sad that i can't buy it for you. but as peter said, silver and gold have i none, but such as i have give i thee. i can pray. :)
thanks, mama.
OMG, what a cutie. I bet her parents are so grateful to have those gorgeous photos!
You will do well as a portrait photographer. My daughter does this on the weekends. She has a job during the week and a baby, too. Photography is her passion. The passion comes through in your photos. Check out www.cowtowncameragirl.com to see my daughter, Nell's work.
wow. thank you, jenny! you daughter is very very talented! thanks for sharing that link. something to aspire to!
As Julia Cameron says in The Artists Way, "Leap and the net will appear."
These were the words that pushed me into starting my own photography business. When I started I knew nothing, but over the past few years I've worked very hard and learned a lot.
So sometimes you just need to leap and it will all work out. It may cost some money, it will be a lot of work for a while, but it will pay off.
Just remember to maintain your sense of wonder for photography. It may seem redundant to say, but sometimes when your passion becomes work, when you are doing something for someone else because they are paying you, it can drain that creative well and enthusiasm.
thanks, shannan!
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